Sound the Bugle
by Nimeneth
Summary: This is a little songfic. Aragorn gets captured by Orcs and loses hope. He regains it after having an unexpected meeting with a close friend. I can't write a very good summary for my life


Sound the Bugle 

**Summary:** Just a little attempt at a song fic that I hope turned out alright. It's about a time when our favorite ranger did something stupid and was captured by Orcs because of it. He looses hope but then regains it when a friend appears to help him.

**Disclaimer:** The song belongs to Bryan Adams. The characters that you recognize in this are Tolkien's, and they don't belong to me. If you recognize the name Ulgluk, unintentional, I tell you.

**A/N:** I was trying to find a good song, and I settled on this one because I could write something good around the lyrics. I just so happened to be listening to the Spirit soundtrack at the time.

NE way… I should start now.

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Sound the bugle now – play it just for me

As the seasons change – remember how I used to be

Now I can't go on – I can't even start

I've got nothing left – just an empty heart

Aragorn stared blankly at the Orcs that surrounded him. He knew that he must fight to defend himself, but he couldn't bring himself to lift his sword arm. His sword was too heavy to lift. He was a slave to them. He had been for a month. He was what they practiced swordplay on. He lost to them so he would keep his life, but they never stopped when he was down. He was loosing strength fast, and he kept thinking that every fight was his last. He never had the materials to treat his wounds, and if he did, the Orcs wouldn't have let him anyway. _They're determined to kill me, but they haven't succeeded yet. They will this time._ The circle started to grow smaller. He just stood in the middle of it as the Orcs closed on him. He knew that they would win eventually, and this delighted the Orcs.

            "What's the matter, human? No strength left? Or do you not care?" One taunted. Aragorn just ignored him, blocking the slashes that would take off his head if he let them.

            "Just leave him to his thoughts. He'll be dead soon enough." Another said, attacking viciously. Aragorn took the slash in the side and dropped to his knees as the gash opened up the others that laced his side. _I'm not letting them have the pleasure of hearing me cry out. _The ranger continued to defend himself from his position, but eventually the sheer numbers of the Orcs defeated him. He lost his sword and went down under the weight of a boot on his back. Everything went black.

I'm a soldier – wounded so I must give up the fight

There's nothing more for me – lead me away…

Or leave me lying here

            The ranger groaned as he came to still in the middle of the hall that was used for practice. The Orcs grinned as he opened his eyes.

            "Looks like he's lost again. What should we do with him?" one sneered at the human.

            "Beat him?" another suggested. The rest agreed instantly.

            "Not too hard. Ulgluk wants him kept alive." A third said, referring to the one who led them. "But hard enough so that he has a lesson that he'll never forget." One Orc ran off to get some rope to secure the human's wrists to a ring set in the wall. A few others freed whips from where they kept them attached to their belts as Aragorn's hands were secured above his head. Aragorn kept his head down so the Orcs couldn't see the tears of pain that were welling up in his eyes. The whips came down on his bare back and he jerked at the pain that shot up his back.

            Sometime later, a whip came down on a tender spot on his back where the Orcs seemed to enjoy hitting him. He screamed at the pain that the whip unleashed. The Orcs grinned, thoroughly enjoying themselves and pleased that they had finally gotten a reaction. They continued beating the human with more vigor then before. The pain was too great for him to bear without a reaction. He finally let the tears fall.

Sound the bugle now – tell them I don't care

There's not a road I know – that leads to anywhere

Without a light I fear that I will – stumble in the dark

Lay right down – decide not to go on

            Aragorn whimpered softly as a rough hand grabbed him by the back of the neck and pushed him down a long hall towards the cell where he was kept, hands still bound tightly. The Orcs had finally let up on their beating and Ulgluk himself had ordered the ranger to be taken back to his cell. The Orcs listened to their leader, letting the human down on unsteady legs. Aragorn had fallen instantly, and was pulled up by his hair to face Ulgluk as the Orc leader sneered and spit in his face.

            He was shoved roughly into the cell, the Orcs hand coming into searing contact with his wounded back. He collapsed onto his side once the door had been shut and locked behind him. He could hardly take the pain anymore, and he let out a sob that was muffled by a gentle hand that was placed over his mouth.

            "You mustn't let them hear you cry, Strider. You know that." Aragorn looked up into the face of the one who had spoken. The one who he shared his cell with didn't withdraw into the shadows like he had done all the times before. Aragorn blinked and stared at the figure.

            "Legolas?" the human asked in disbelief.

Then from on high – somewhere in the distance

There's a voice that calls – remember who you are

If you lose yourself – your courage soon may follow

So be strong tonight – remember who you are

Ya you're a soldier now – fighting in a battle

To be free once more…

Ya that's worth fighting for

                "How are we going to get out of here?" Aragorn asked as the elf tended to his wounds.

            "Well, I was thinking of fighting our way out. They don't know that I'm here. You do know where they keep you weapons, don't you?" Aragorn nodded. "I know that you may not be in the best shape to fight, but you have to try."

            "Yes, I know. But how are we going to get out of this cell?" Aragorn winced as Legolas touched a spot on his back where the welts were layered thickly. The elf then leaned over and whispered something into the other's ear. The human looked at him. "Are you sure that's going to work?" The elf nodded. The ranger sucked in his breath as the prince bound up the wounds with strips that he had torn from his cloak.

            "It should, unless I misjudge the distance." Legolas joked. Aragorn nodded in agreement, smiling to hide his nervousness. _It has to work. That's what he meant to say. He knows that if this fails, I won't last another fight. He wants to get me out of here. Legolas, you…_ Aragorn sighed. _Don't go and kill yourself, alright? Elladan would kill me. Actually, he's already going to kill me once he finds out that I was captured by Orcs.  He took the hand offered to him and as the elf helped him sit up, he gripped Legolas' hand tighter._

            "If neither of us survive this, I guess that this is a good-bye for both of us." Legolas looked up at the words.

            "Don't say that. I'm sure that we both will survive." The prince gently scolded the human. He sighed. "I guess that your words are true. If you or I die, I'm going to miss you, my friend." Legolas said softly. The ranger's face turned into a mask of sorrow hidden by determination. A stomping sound reached their ears. "This is it. I wish you good luck." Legolas stepped into the shadows behind the door to hide his tears.

            "Good luck to you also, Legolas." The human whispered. Then he turned back to the door, a new determination coursing through his veins. He was going to be free.

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Please tell me what you think. This is my first song fic and I don't know if I should write more of them. I want feedback on this.

Please review!

Namarie!

~*Mariana Nimeneth*~


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